| Version 16 |
Version 17 |
BBC apologises over Queen clipsThu Jul 12 17:30:16 UTC 2007 |
BBC apologises over Queen clipsThu Jul 12 18:40:20 UTC 2007 |
The BBC has apologised to the Queen for wrongly implying she walked out of a portrait session with photographer Annie Leibovitz during a documentary. | The BBC has apologised to the Queen for mistakenly showing footage that wrongly implied she walked out of a portrait session during a documentary. |
A trailer for the programme, unveiled on Wednesday, showed the Queen in an exchange with Leibovitz, followed by a clip of her apparently walking off. | The programme trailer showed the Queen in an exchange with photographer Annie Leibovitz, followed by a clip of her apparently walking off. |
The BBC said in a statement: "This was not the case and the actual sequence of events was misrepresented." | The footage, revealed to the press on Wednesday, was not intended to be seen and was shown in error, the BBC said. |
| The documentary, A Year With The Queen, will be shown later this year. | The documentary, A Year With The Queen, will be shown later this year. |
"The BBC would like to apologise to both the Queen and Annie Leibovitz for any upset this may have caused", the corporation's statement continued. | "The BBC would like to apologise to both the Queen and Annie Leibovitz for any upset this may have caused", the corporation said in a statement. |
The BBC Trust has asked BBC director general Mark Thompson to explain the events which led to the apology. | In a later joint statement, the BBC and production company RDF Media said the film had been edited out of sequence and supplied to the corporation in error. |
| Working life | Working life |
| Photographer Annie Leibovitz is seen in the trailer telling the Queen she will look better without her tiara because "the Garter robe is so..." | Photographer Annie Leibovitz is seen in the trailer telling the Queen she will look better without her tiara because "the Garter robe is so..." |
| Before she can say "extraordinary", the Queen replies, pointing to what she is wearing: "Less dressy. What do you think this is?" | Before she can say "extraordinary", the Queen replies, pointing to what she is wearing: "Less dressy. What do you think this is?" |
Leibovitz is famous for her celebrity portraits | |
| The clip then cuts to the Queen walking through the Palace saying to her lady-in-waiting: "I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much," implying she had stormed off from the portrait session. | The clip then cuts to the Queen walking through the Palace saying to her lady-in-waiting: "I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much," implying she had stormed off from the portrait session. |
| But in fact, this clip was filmed before the photographs were taken. | But in fact, this clip was filmed before the photographs were taken. |
| Leibovitz is famous for her celebrity portraits |
| The trailer was shown to journalists at a press launch of the BBC's autumn schedule. | The trailer was shown to journalists at a press launch of the BBC's autumn schedule. |
| Stories describing what appeared to be the Queen walking out subsequently appeared widely, including on the BBC News website. | Stories describing what appeared to be the Queen walking out subsequently appeared widely, including on the BBC News website. |
The BBC said the clips for the trailer were "not intended to provide a full picture of what actually happened or of what will be shown in the final programme". | The BBC said the trailer was never intended to be seen by the public or the press and was shown to journalists "in error". |
| The footage had been supplied by production company RDF Media and the BBC had no idea it had been edited out of sequence, a joint statement from the BBC and RDF said. |
| "This assembly was never intended to be seen by the public or the press," the statement continued. |
| "Unfortunately, this assembly was given in error to the BBC personnel who were preparing the BBC One autumn launch tape." |
| RDF Media said it "would like to apologise to the Queen and Annie Leibovitz for this error". |
| Controller of BBC One Peter Fincham used the sequence "in good faith" and had no knowledge that an error had been made, the statement added. |
| Her Majesty posed for Leibovitz in Buckingham Palace in March for a series of portraits to mark her state visit to the US. | Her Majesty posed for Leibovitz in Buckingham Palace in March for a series of portraits to mark her state visit to the US. |
| 'Remarkable access' | 'Remarkable access' |
| Four official portraits of the Queen have since been released by the famous photographer, renowned for celebrity shots including an iconic photo of a naked John Lennon embracing a clothed Yoko Ono. | Four official portraits of the Queen have since been released by the famous photographer, renowned for celebrity shots including an iconic photo of a naked John Lennon embracing a clothed Yoko Ono. |
| The five-part documentary will start on BBC One in the autumn. | The five-part documentary will start on BBC One in the autumn. |
| The programme observes the working life of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family as they go about their duties at home and abroad. | The programme observes the working life of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family as they go about their duties at home and abroad. |
| The Blue Peter team apologised after the error was discovered | The Blue Peter team apologised after the error was discovered |
| It covers events including the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations, the State Opening of Parliament, Royal tours, investitures and garden parties. | It covers events including the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations, the State Opening of Parliament, Royal tours, investitures and garden parties. |
BBC One controller Peter Fincham said the BBC had had "remarkable access" to the Royal Family. | Mr Fincham said the BBC had had "remarkable access" to the Royal Family. |
| The incident comes in the same week the BBC was fined £50,000 after the results of a Blue Peter competition were faked last November. | The incident comes in the same week the BBC was fined £50,000 after the results of a Blue Peter competition were faked last November. |
| The show allowed a child visiting the studio to pose as a caller when technical problems stopped real calls getting through to the studio. | The show allowed a child visiting the studio to pose as a caller when technical problems stopped real calls getting through to the studio. |
| Media watchdog Ofcom criticised the BBC for "negligence" and for "making a child complicit" in the deception. | Media watchdog Ofcom criticised the BBC for "negligence" and for "making a child complicit" in the deception. |
| It is the first time Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty on the BBC for an editorial failure. | It is the first time Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty on the BBC for an editorial failure. |
